Minnie the Moocher, the cat in residence at Clough’s Hardware and Paint in Stratford, died last month at 18 years of age. The all-white cat was a fixture of the store and somewhat of a local celebrity with a sizeable following of adoring adults and children. less

Minnie the Moocher, the cat in residence at Clough’s Hardware and Paint in Stratford, died last month at 18 years of age. The all-white cat was a fixture of the store and somewhat of a local celebrity with a ... more

Photo: Contributed Photo

Image 2 of 5

Minnie the Moocher, the cat in residence at Clough’s Hardware and Paint in Stratford, died last month at 18 years of age. The all-white cat was a fixture of the store and somewhat of a local celebrity with a sizeable following of adoring adults and children. less

Minnie the Moocher, the cat in residence at Clough’s Hardware and Paint in Stratford, died last month at 18 years of age. The all-white cat was a fixture of the store and somewhat of a local celebrity with a ... more

Photo: Contributed Photo

Image 3 of 5

Minnie the Moocher, the cat in residence at Clough’s Hardware and Paint in Stratford, died last month at 18 years of age. The all-white cat was a fixture of the store and somewhat of a local celebrity with a sizeable following of adoring adults and children. less

Minnie the Moocher, the cat in residence at Clough’s Hardware and Paint in Stratford, died last month at 18 years of age. The all-white cat was a fixture of the store and somewhat of a local celebrity with a ... more

Photo: Contributed Photo

Image 4 of 5

Minnie the Moocher, the cat in residence at Clough’s Hardware and Paint in Stratford, died last month at 18 years of age. The all-white cat was a fixture of the store and somewhat of a local celebrity with a sizeable following of adoring adults and children. less

Minnie the Moocher, the cat in residence at Clough’s Hardware and Paint in Stratford, died last month at 18 years of age. The all-white cat was a fixture of the store and somewhat of a local celebrity with a ... more

Photo: Contributed Photo

Image 5 of 5

The 'soul' of Clough's Hardware has gone to Kitty Land

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STRATFORD -- She was the people's pet. A discarded stray who became the star of Paradise Green. And now the all-white cat at Clough's Hardware store is dead.

Minnie the Moocher, a stray cat that took up residence at the hardware store 18 years ago, was put down Nov. 29 after a veterinarian discovered a cancerous lump in her throat. She was 18 years old.

"Putting that cat down was the last thing I wanted to do," said Ron Clough, partial owner of the family-run hardware store. "But she was in pain. It would have been cruel to let her go on like that."

It was November 1992 when a scrawny kitten first scooted in the door of Clough's Hardware at the feet of a customer and Ron Clough noticed it inside his store. The cat was starving and had been mauled by dogs. So he gave her food and water and a warm place to stay until closing time when he scooted her back out on the street.

When he opened the store the next day, the cat had already found its way inside. And that's where she stayed for much of the next 18 years.

"People thought she was a stuffed animal at first," Ron Clough recalled. "They would pick her up and flip her upside down to look for the price sticker. And they just about jumped out of their skin when then they did it. It was a scary experience for them and the cat."

Before long, just about everyone knew about Minnie. She greeted all who entered the store with a meow. She tolerated hugs and belly-rubs and tight squeezes from children.

Most customers quickly developed a fondness for the snow-white cat.

Minnie was perhaps best known for napping in the center of Clough's seasonal Department 56 window displays. She never knocked a figurine out of place.

"She's had her tail pulled, her ears poked and she's been hugged nearly to death," said Evelyn Clough. "In all the years she was here, she only scratched one little girl. The girl picked her up backwards. Minnie didn't like that."

Minnie's death was particularly hard on Ron Clough. And the role of bad news bearer to those who continue to come in the store to visit the cat was beginning to take its toll. So Evelyn Clough posted a notice in the front window: "With deep regret we want you all to know Minnie has gone to Kitty Land."

Evelyn Clough pointed to the death notice a few days ago when a little girl and her father came in to say hello to the girl's favorite feline. The man ushered his daughter, who was searching for Minnie on shelves and in boxes, onto the sidewalk where he knelt down and whispered in her ear. Ron and Evelyn Clough watched as the girl buried her face in her father's shoulder and started to cry.

"I had a grown woman stand here and sob the other day," Evelyn Clough said. "Your heart breaks all over again."

Probate Judge Paul Kurmay had not yet heard the news Friday when asked about his relationship with the cat for this article. "I can't believe it. I was just there hugging her last week," he said.

"She was the soul of the store; so gentle and kind," he added. "Very business-like, though. She would keep an eye on the store almost like a retailer.

"On a cold Christmas night you would go walk by Clough's and she would be sound asleep in the window and it would give you the most wonderful warm feeling."

Slowly, news of Minnie's death is circulating. Memorial gifts, like a dried red rose fastened to a copy of the book "The Cat Who Came for Christmas," are trickling in to the store. And the little girl and her father, the judge and the rest of Minnie's fan club are limiting trips to the hardware store to paint and hardware purchases.

Minnie won't be replaced, Ron Clough said. Not a chance. Who could replace such a rare animal?